#BTColumn – A look at CXC today

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.

This is the final article of a three-part analysis of the CXC.

by Ralph Jemmott

The CXC Exams hit a bump in the road in the summer of 2020. It is not the only examination body to experience difficulties this year. The Daily Express of August 19 referred to the British “A-level and GCSE fiasco,” and there were calls for ‘embattled’ Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to quit. Both fiascos were caused in large measure by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, 2020 showed up some existential issues with the CXC. As the Committee Group of Concerned Parents of Barbados suggests, the Council must, “strategically and systematically identify short-term, intermediate and long-term challenges and find solutions.”

The responses of the Registrar and the Director of Operations of the Examinations Services Division were less than satisfying. The idea that checking the addition of the marks was what was needed was ridiculous.

It was the system of assessment that was in dispute. How does a student obtain a Grade 1 with A profiles in Unit 1 and get a Grade 4 or 5 in Unit 2?

According to the CAPE 2000 document, a Grade 1 indicates (a) an ‘EXCELLENT’ grasp of the principles, concept and skills contained in the syllabus, (b) that the candidate, “applies principles, concepts and skills to problem situations and analyses, synthesises and evaluates issues in a competent manner,” and that (c) he or she, “organises information meaningfully and communicates ideas in an effective manner.”

These are all high order cognitive abilities. The designation for Grade 4 repeats the same skills set, but defines the grasp as only ‘SATISFACTORY’. Grade 5 is considered ‘ACCEPTABLE’ and Grade 6 as ‘LIMITED.’

If candidates can obtain a Grade 1 in the Lower Sixth, why would so many fall to Grades 4 and 5 a year later when one would think they would be more cognitively mature?

The big question one might ask is who corrected and moderated the tests, and how were they assessed? In its Mission Statement, CXC assures its clients of a ‘‘valid and reliable examination”.

Since its establishment, the Caribbean Examinations Council has become a much enlarged project. It is now responsible for three levels of examination: the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level  Competence, (CCSLC), somewhat akin to the American High School Diploma.

I do not know the Council’s budget, but given its present remit, it seems to be grossly under-funded, running a shoe-string budget and unreasonably expecting the region’s teachers to pick up the slack. It also appears to be short of the human resources and the bureaucracy that it needs to fulfil its extensive mandate.

The CAPE May 2000 document states CXC’s mission to provide the Caribbean region with:

– Syllabuses of the highest quality; valid and reliable examinations and certificates of international repute for students of all ages, ability and interests.

– Services to educational institutions in the developing of syllabuses, examinations and examination administration.

Significantly, the 2000 CXC booklet added that these services could be provided, “in the most cost effective way”. Is finance in fact an issue with CXC? One of the frequently heard complaints from teachers is the fall-off in CXC workshops to keep them abreast of syllabi and schemes of marking.

This is particularly needed for new teachers entering the service. Quality assurance must be an imperative of educational accreditation. CXC must ensure that confidence in it as an examining body does not evaporate.

Many in the region, more specifically the students and their parents, want to see an expeditious conclusion to this year’s issues. There appear to be two solutions. The first is to go with the teacher-predicted grades, Internal Assessments (IA’s), as was done in England. This would be done where the CXC grade is questionable and highly divergent from the teachers’ and the candidate’s expectation. This would be the quickest solution, but a bit too subjective for my taste.

The second option would be to gather the SBA and Multiple choice papers for those students who have queried their CXC grades and have a select body of moderators in each territory remark them and give a fair and final objective grading.

One is not sure how long this might take, but in the absence of a Paper 2 it might not take too long. In any case, there should be no cost to the student, his or her ward or parent.

Finally, I do not consider myself a ‘regionalist.’ Regrettably, I do not go along with the idea that Barbados should, in any form or fashion, become a parish in something calling itself a wider Caribbean Community. Hell no!

However, there are two Caribbean institutions that even at their worst performance I support. One is the West Indian men and women cricket teams. The other is the Caribbean Examinations Council.

Beyond October 16, the Review Panel should make an honest appraisal of all of CXC’s structures to ensure it gets back on an even keel.                    

Ralph Jemmott is a retired educator.